I’m Emily, founder of Emily Kim Co! We're a team of brand photographers & videographers, and we work with passionate small business owners who are ready to scale and stand out as local industry leaders.

We're based in Boston, MA and the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. Here at Emily Kim Co, we provide creative, strategic marketing imagery & videos that attract YOUR ideal audience.

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Location Scouting in Palo Alto, CA

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I had the best time hanging out with Kirsty and Kelly around Palo Alto! There are so many beautiful places here, and we only knocked three off my list.

Tips for location scouting

Plan, plan, plan!

Before going on a scouting day, there are a few questions you should answer:

Where do you want to go?
I am so glad we chose locations that were near each other, especially in the afternoon. If you’re going for the whole day, and the locations are within 5-10 miles of each other, I would recommend 2-3 places.

What time of day do you want to scout?
Many photographers scout locations at the golden hour or whenever they usually hold sessions. I don’t mind shooting during the day (actually, I’ve grown to love it!), so we checked out Shoreline Lake in the early afternoon. Plus, it’s easy to get an idea of where the sun will be later in the day, so we still marked a few spots. If you want to pick out exact locations for a shoot, you should definitely go during the time of day the shoot is planned for.

Do you want to get test shots?
It really helps to bring a model or photog friend with you! I got quite a few portfolio shots from our scouting day. Asking a model to come with you could cost you some $$$, but it’s well worth it if you know what you’re looking for. Alternatively, ask a blogger, drag a friend, or bring a tripod to get the most out of your day. I recommend getting a few test shots – you’ll be able to use these to recommend potential locations to future clients.


Be sure to bring plenty of water and snacks with you if you’ll be out all day. Other necessities could include:

Dry shampoo
Comb/brush
Tide-to-go sticks
Change of clothes
Extra camera batteries
Extra SD cards

Where we went

Shoreline Lake

Portrait in a field at Shoreline LakeShoreline Lake Portraits with Kirsty

Arizona Cactus Garden

Kirsty at the Arizona Cactus Garden in Stanford, CAKelly at the Arizona Cactus Garden

Elizabeth Gamble Garden

Black and white image of Kelly at Elizabeth Gamble Garden Elizabeth Gamble Garden with Kelly and Kirsty-1

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I’m Emily, founder of Emily Kim Co! We're a team of brand photographers & videographers, and we work with passionate small business owners who are ready to scale and stand out as local industry leaders.

We're based in Boston, MA and the San Francisco Bay Area, CA. Here at Emily Kim Co, we provide creative, strategic marketing imagery & videos that attract YOUR ideal audience.

tell me more...

crowd faves

on the blog

Brand photos for coaches: ideas & inspiration

5 Dream Bay Area Studio Rentals for Your Next Shoot

What is a branding photoshoot?

How to Plan Outfits for Your Brand Photoshoot

goodies you'll love

Access My Free Resource Library

Branded Stock Photography at the EK Stock Shop

Free Preset for
Lightroom Mobile

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